90th minute winners are part of the mythology of football. Every football fan can recall the games that went down to virtually the last kick, with the goal either coming 'at last' or else out of nowhere as the game appeared to be heading to it's prescribed conclusion. It's part of the thrill of football that goals have such a high value, making them a stronger currency than say, a rugby try, or a wicket in cricket and to score one at the very end of a game, when the opposition has no time to respond is utter joy.
Take last night for example; just as Bray and Derry seemed to be heading for a dull draw last night, just as the 'beat the traffic' brigade were vacating their seats, just as both managers will have been preparing their post-match talks, up stepped Gareth McGlynn to condemn Bray to defeat, hand the Candystripes the spoils, and change the game. It's a definitive act, a sucker blow; one moment you have a solitary point from a game, the next you might as well have won 5-0 as all three points are coming your way.
Derry haven't had the best of times at the Carlisle Grounds in recent years. As every League of Ireland fan knows, Bray Wanderers' home ground is the officially the coldest place in Ireland and the memory of April's 1-1 draw and last year's defeats here did little to warm any red and white clad supporters taking their seats last night.
I use the term 'seats' here in rather a loose way, much like many of the plastic arrangements themselves: Bray appear to have extended their welcome to their Northern rivals by having the red seats sprayed in white dust to match their colours. Anyone who managed to find a seat that wasn't already cracked or falling apart was rewarded with a layer of dirt on their clothes.
Stephen Kenny and his bench were presumably greeted with cleaner seats but it's a pretty good bet they sat just as uncomfortably, the morning papers reporting on the fact that staff at the club will receive just 25% of their wages this month in an effort to ease the club's growing financial problems. It was a poor game, in keeping with the subdued atmosphere with the ball spending much of the night getting an aeriel view of the Bray coastline and surrounding amusements.
Eddie McCallion came close to getting a rare goal in the first half when his superb long range effort crashed off the crossbar and Mark Farren followed suit just a few seconds later but while Derry had most of the ball, they struggled to create very many clear cut chances. Thankfully, McGlynn was on hand to header past Chris O'Connor just when it seemed Bray had done enough. Relief all around, with that on the faces of Kenny and his playing staff, particularly welcome. The handshakes and hugs all round were ample evidence of how much of a trial the last few weeks have been.
The win doesn't dispel the clouds that hang over the Brandywell at the moment, but the club's third league win on the trot did ensure that something positive came from the week and moves them up to third in the table. Just how important third place and its attendant financial benefits are may only be known at the season's end; it can only be hoped we aren't relying on our placing to be able to pay our players.
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